Back to Exponent Menu Printer Friendly Page   THE WORD Sunday, September 05, 1999 Fraternal correction must be motivated by love 23RD SUNDAY OF THE YEAR - SEPT. 5 Ezechiel 33:7-9 Romans 13:8-10 Matthew 18:15-20 ' Old Deuteronomy's lived a long time/ He's a cat who has lived many lives in succession/ He was famous in proverb and famous in rhyme/ A long time before Queen Victoria's accession/ Old Deuteronomy's buried nine wives/ And more I am tempted to say ninety-nine/ And his numerous progeny prospers and thrives/ And the village is proud of him in his decline/ At the sight of that placid and bland physiognomy/ When he sits in the sun on the vicarage wall/ The oldest inhabitant croaks. ' ' Well of all things can it be really/ No, yes, ho, hi, oh my eye!/ My mind may be wandering but I confess/ I believe it is old Deuteronomy. ' This poem from T.S. Eliot's ' Old Possum Book of Practical Cats ' has been popularized in the hit musical ' Cats. ' It speaks of an ancient, venerable cat named Deuteronomy. He was well known to all in the community. His proverbs were famous and his spirit permeated the entire village. Like Deuteronomy, the cat, the Old Testament book of Deuteronomy was known and loved by the members of the Church for whom St. Matthew wrote. The sayings and spirit of the Jewish Law permeate Matthew's Gospel. Today's Gospel presents a procedure for correcting a member of the Church who persists in sin. The procedure does not originate with Jesus. It is derived from the Torah, especially the books of Leviticus and Deuteronomy. The same directions are echoed throughout the Old Testament. They are reiterated by Ezechiel in today's first reading. The topic is what is commonly called ' fraternal correction. ' The Gospel points to its importance and at the same time is sensitive to its difficulty. The ultimate concern is for the salvation of an erring member of the Christian family. Matthew conceives the Church as a tightly knit, caring and concerned family (See 12:46-50). In such a family, if one member sins seriously the others instinctively seek out the transgressor and privately urge him or her to come back. The procedure occurs daily within our families as parents train their children and discipline adolescents. Children, in turn, remind parents when they forget and do the same things the children have been taught not to do. Matthew envisions this same brotherly and sisterly correction, which occurs normally and naturally within families, as the ideal for spiritual growth among adults in the Church. Based on Deuteronomy, Ezechiel speaks of fraternal correction as an obligation. He points out that correcting a wayward brother or sister is an obligation upon which our very salvation depends. If we do not speak out, we are held responsible for the spiritual death of the sinner. Paul, writing to the Romans, stresses love in the fundamental virtue to guide our fraternal correction of others. When we proceed with genuine love we do not set out to win an argument or to humiliate our friends. We address what is authentically good in sinners in order that their basic goodness becomes more visible and effective in guiding their future actions. When we lovingly correct others we enhance and affirm what is valuable them. To correct with love implies sharing the pain of the mistakes. When discussing sinful behavior we are bonded in suffering for we have been there ourselves. We weep with those who are weeping, we are shamed with those who are shamed with those who are shamed, we feel helpless with the helpless and impulsive. Correction is not an exercise in proving the wrong to be wrong or the right to be right. Deep down we all know the immorality of serious sin. We understand that adultery, murder, stealing and coveting are wrong. It is best to assume this of others. Correction seeks to motivate, to reveal unsuspected sources of strength, to revitalize ideals, to find and encourage what seems lost. Correction is never easy. No matter how well we prepare or how deeply we are motivated by love, the task is difficult. That is why we would sooner avoid it. The next time we recognize the deep down need to speak to another about actions inappropriate to the Christian life perhaps we will be strengthened by our realizations that this is our obligation in love. In the words of T.S. Eliot: ' my legs may be tottery I must go slow/ And be careful of old Deuteronomy. '   Back to Exponent Menu Printer Friendly Page   Other Articles of 1999   May our families be places of peace, reconciliation and love   Where do we look after the glory of Christmas has worn off?   We are anointed to bring glad tidings, light the darkness   Without grasping its meaning, Mary gave herself to the Word   May we become messengers of Christ this Advent   Be watchful! Christ is coming — and he’s here today   God requires us to share the talents he gives us   We must strive to hasten the coming of God’s reign   10 Commandments put flesh on the law of love   Giving justice and peace a chance in the world   The Church: Saints and sinners, good and evil   How dedicated are we as both tenants, servants of God's Kingdom?   Parable of the Two Sons: A call to change our hearts   World of the marketplace, world of the Kingdom   We risk losing God's forgiveness if we do not forgive one another   Fraternal correction must be motivated by love   Fraternal correction must be motivated by love   Accepting both sides of the papal coin   Peter stands out among the Twelve as the foundation   Assumption: Mary goes before us to prepare the way   Ship has been symbol of Church from earliest centuries   Poverty in U.S. is more than a political issue   Church will always contain faithful and unfaithful members   Do we fully understand the Treasure we've been given?   Adapting and developing sacred traditions to the times   God reveals Himself through Jesus 'to the merest children'   Faith in Jesus has implications in every family   Integrating the Gospel message into our daily lives   Gospel to be proclaimed by those who need it most   Guidelines for the reception of Holy Communion   Scripture shows us two distinct reactions to Jesus   The message of Pentecost: Life is breathed into the Church   The test for believers: Faithfulness among the unbelievers   Misunderstood evangelization is Church's essential mission   We are living stones of a new spiritual edifice   Good Shepherd stands in sharp contrast to the Pharisees   Recognizing Jesus in the scripture and the stranger   'Dangerous' Word of God challenges our faith response   First disciples' experience is our experience, too   Fate of two prominent disciples captured in Matthew   'Raising of Lazarus' a story of progressive faith   What blind spots remain in our lives of faith   Thirsting for God alone will bring us happiness   Paschal Mystery: Mysterious movement from death to life   We go into the desert so we, too, can be tested   In relating to God, first ask, 'How do I relate to others?'   Our lives can add salt and light to a bland, dim world   Lord, help us live Beatitudes, Sermon on the Mount   Chapter 4 of Matthew: Introduction, geography lesson   Our faith: Intellectual assent, or changed lives?   We acknowledge Jesus, strive to continue in his ministry   Long after Christmas, we still await Him   Past Articles From 1998